


Bringing You Back

by curiousscientistkae



Series: Chipped!Adora [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mind Control, Swearing, idk what else to add if it needs tw tell me and ill add
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24356083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiousscientistkae/pseuds/curiousscientistkae
Summary: An alternate take on season 5. The gang has been able to save Catra from Horde Prime's clutches but in turn, Adora now is trapped. There is so much left unsaid between Glimmer and Adora, both good and bad between them. There is a chance now neither can have the talk they want but Glimmer is dead set on getting Adora back, no matter what...
Relationships: Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Series: Chipped!Adora [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827520
Comments: 8
Kudos: 79





	Bringing You Back

**Author's Note:**

> So this came to me in a fuckin dream. Least the plot did aksgjbaskjga I am not even joking. I have to say thanks to a chat I am for a) being like do it when I told them about it and b) helping me work some stuff out but also I have to thank [CountDorku](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CountDorku) for writing the fight scene between Glimmer and Adora because I was struggling with it. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enough this thing that came to me while I was sleeping

“What happened?!?” Glimmer asks Catra, a growl rising in her throat. “Where the hell is Adora?!?”

Catra glares at her, her ear pinned as far back as they can go. “Even after what I said, that idiot came to save my ass by attempting to give up hers. And guess what? She got captured! I had no idea what was happening until all of a sudden I was freed and on this ship! What were all of you doing?!?”

“Trying to save you because Adora decided your skin was worth saving!”

“This is a great thanks, Sparkles. Maybe I shouldn’t have saved you if this is what I get for it!”

“Okay! Okay!” Bow suddenly shouts. He steps between Glimmer and Catra, just as it looks like they will go for each other’s throats. “There is no time for fighting right now. We all want to save Adora, right?”

Glimmer and Catra exchange looks. Every part of Glimmer wants to sock Catra in the face. She is grateful that she got her out of that hellhole of Horde Prime’s ship but now Adora is stuck there with him. Gods know what he is doing to her. He wanted her. Glimmer most likely only got a taste of what he has to offer. Now Adora will get it all. However, this _was_ Adora’s rescue mission. Catra is not at fault there.

Glimmer grumbles and unclutches her fits. Catra herself backs down. Bow sighs a breath of relief. “Good. First things first, we need to regroup and figure out how we are getting back on Horde Prime’s ship to get Adora. He won’t fall for the same trick twice. And we have to make sure we don’t fail or leave anyone behind. Group meeting in ten?”

“Fine,” Glimmer says. 

Before anyone can say anything else, she storms off. Glimmer has no idea where she is heading. She just wants to have a place to be alone and not be bothered. Faith really is a cruel mistress. Either it is tearing her and Adora apart with harsh words or action, or it refuses to let them sit it out and talk. After being rescued, Adora promised the two would talk about everything that happened to them once they got Catra and were safe away from Horde Prime. Now that day may never come. 

Glimmer bites her lower lip, holding back a growing feeling of crying. She has to stay strong. Strong for Adora when _does_ come back. Strong for her for when they _do_ talk. There is no need to think that Adora won’t come back, that she will never see that warm smile again or hear her infectious laugh or look into her soft eyes.

She may never get to tell Adora how much she means to her…

Glimmer stops and leans on the cold, metal wall of Mara’s ship. Her sight has become blurry as thoughts fill her mind. Adora means the absolute world to her. The former Horde soldier always knows how to cheer her up, how to make her laugh, or feel like she is absolutely perfect. Even when they were fighting, even when they had their spats, something always tugged at Glimmer’s heart, wanting to fix things. But they only got worse and worse thanks to the Horde, to pride, and to so many other things. The worst thing that can happen now is never getting that chance to make it all up to her and tell her how much she loves her. 

No matter what, she _will_ get Adora back. She won’t lose her again.

* * *

Adora groans, her head aching. It feels like someone smashed her with a metal bat and didn’t hold back. Slowly, she opens her eyes. The world is out of focus, everything is blotchy and all the colors are mixed together. Blinking, the world becomes clear and sharp. She finds herself in a white and green room, seemingly alone. Across from her is a pool of bright, light emerald colored water. It takes a moment for her to recall everything that has happened. 

She and the others attempted to save Catra. Even after everything she has done, all the evil and suffering she has caused, it felt unfair to leave her to the clutches of someone so _vile._ Even Catra didn’t deserve that. The plan was to fake a surrender, trick Horde Prime, and get the hell out of here without losing anyone. Adora was brought to face Prime and she asked him to give up Catra in exchange for herself. What’s better than having She-ra? That is the last thing she remembers. Waking up in this cold, unknown room is the next thing she can stitch together in her mind. 

As her senses come more back to her, Adora realizes her hands are bound behind her. Despite this, she manages to push herself to her knees. Now she can get a better look at where she is. The room is large and quiet. Besides the pool, it looks almost exactly like what she was brought to when she gave herself up. How many rooms are like this? Do they all look near identical? This would give anyone a headache trying to find their way around the ship.

“I see you are finally awake,” a cold voice says. 

A shiver runs right down Adora’s spine. She feels goosebumps form on every inch of her skin. Adora doesn’t want to look at the owner of the voice, she knows exactly who it belongs to, but she finds herself still turning around to face Horde Prime. He grins widely from his seat when her eyes land on her. Sitting on his chair and looking down at her, he emits an intimidating aura. All four of his eyes stare at her. 

“I was beginning to wonder if my brother hit you too hard. Though it doesn’t really matter to me whether you live or die, I was hoping for the former.”

 _He wants me alive? What?_ Adora thinks to herself. 

“Confused, little sister?” Hordak Prime stands up and walks up to Adora. He kneels down in front of her and places his icy hands on her chin. More goosebumps appear on her body at the touch.

Adora begins to feel sick to her stomach, like she is about to throw up. But she holds it back and settles for words instead. “Why don’t you just kill me?”

“Ah! There we go. You see, I thought about that. It would be so easy just to end you right now and get that thorn out of my side. But the more I thought, the more I figured you can be useful. Killing you will only make you a martyr. Someone for those pesky Etherians to rally behind in name. No, no. I will make you crush them yourself. That will destroy any hope they have.”

“I will _never_ help you!” Adora hisses. 

Horde Prime starts to laugh. “Oh but you will. Now tell me, how much do they love you as She-ra?”

“What?”

He stands up, towering over Adora. “One of my little brothers you may know. I know a lot about you from him. I know you left his pathetic attempt of his own creation of an army. And I know as of late from a little spy they had you and that queen, Glimmer, had been fighting quite a lot, have you not?”

Adora swallows a lump in her throat. It quickly reforms, like she didn’t do anything at all. That is not something she wants to think about. Not right now. If there is anyone she wants to talk to about that unresolved mess, Horde Prime is at the bottom of the list. 

Horde Prime continues, not waiting for any sort of answer. 

“And I heard you two are quite close? If that is so, it seems like such a shame you two have fought. I guess you failed her too many times as She-ra? How many others have you failed to keep safe? Will they welcome you back with open arms after everything?”

“I…” Adora starts but cannot find more words. Try as she might not to think about it, her mind begins to race faster than light. She no longer has a sword. She let the Horde take over so much of Etheria, practically let everything and everyone be captured, and now she has been powerless to stop Horde Prime and now herself is a prisoner. Will they be happy to see her when she comes back? Will they hate her for the state of the world? And what does Glimmer think about all this. Damn it, they should have talked beforehand. Both figured once they got Catra back they could finally talk about everything. Now she quite easily might not be able to say anything at all to her, not even what she wants to say the most. 

“You see, is that something you really want to go back too? Why don’t you join me? I can give you the adoration you deserve.”

Adora grits her teeth. There is no time for doubt right now. “No. No! I don’t care what you say, I will still defend them no matter what. There is nothing you can do that will make me join you!”

Horde Prime’s grins even wider, creeping Adora out. “I don’t think you will have a choice.”

He grabs her by the back of her jacket. Adora attempts to wiggle free but his grasp is far too strong. It’s vise like. Suddenly, her ears are filled with chanting. Looking around the room, she finds a numerous amount of glowing green eyes surrounding her. How long were these clones here? She feels herself break out into a cold sweat as she is dragged closer and closer to the pool. No matter what she does, she cannot break free. The only time Horde Prime’s hand lets go is after she feels a sharp prick at the base of her neck, when he throws her into the pool. 

The water that submerges her is like ice. Adora holds her breath while her mind races with ideas on how to get out. However, it is cut off when memories from all throughout her lifetime play out all of a sudden. Ones that she loves, ones she has forgotten, and ones she hates and wishes not to recall all feel like they are being pulled right out of her as her body feels like it is being electrocuted. 

Like a game of tug-of-war, she tries to pull them back, to keep her memories locked away but she can't. Whatever rips them out of her mind is far too strong for her to do anything about it. Images of Glimmer begin to be the only thought she has. Meeting her, becoming friends, going on missions, wishing to be closer to her...Glimmer using her as bait, blaming her for everything that has happened, being ordered around with no stop, and all the yelling and hate between them. 

It hurts. All Adora wanted to be was a hero to Glimmer. Keep her safe from any harm and pain. She never got the chance to say it to the queen but Adora has become smitten with her. Maybe so much so it blinded her with over protection. She just wanted to keep her safe and happy after all the suffering she went through. But that never happened. With the memories streaming in her mind, the only word that she can think is 'failure'.

It all becomes too much for her. If she wasn't surrounded by murky water, she believes tears would be streaming out of her eyes like a river. Adora feels herself starting to blackout and the air she holds back about to burst out like a dam. Seconds before any of those can occur, something lifts her out of the water. 

Adora is placed on the ground. She coughs, nearly hacking up both her lungs and gasping for air. Every breath she takes burns her insides. She catches a glimpse of the water that just had her under it and the coldness still touching her legs. Without second thought, she pulls herself away and fully out of the water. Once she feels safe from harm, she lies on her back, still attempting to get her breathing back. 

"How do you feel now, little sister?" Horde Prime asks, hovering over her. His eyes are glowing green. Unbeknownst to Adora, hers do the same. 

How does she feel? She doesn't feel much of anything actually. There’s no worry about trying to help anyone or that she might mess up on protecting them. No hatred for what happened to her or her loved ones and no grief for those she lost. Nothing but a sense of bliss and calm rest in every inch of her body. Is this what people feel like when they have nothing to fear or be concerned about? 

"Does it feel nice right now?" Horde Prime adds on. 

Adora nods. It does. Horde Prime's smile never fades from his face. 

"Good. I'll have one of my brothers help get you cleaned up and ready. I have a feeling you might have visitors soon. I want you to look nice for them."

Adora is lifted to her feet and her hands are freed. Something far back in her mind tells her she should do something now that she can properly move, to run and escape, but she doesn't. She follows the clone wherever he guides her.

* * *

“Tell me again how the hell this plan is going to work?” Glimmer asks, looking at Entrapta fiddling around with who knows what. She can never keep up with all the jargon she spouts when working on her experiments. 

“If they can’t see us, how will they shoot at us?” Entrapta replies back, her voice muffled behind her mask. 

“I think they will know we might try to get Adora back and I don’t know how lucky we will be a second time trying to get on Horde Prime’s ship.”

“Don’t you worry about it, Glimmer! I will make sure Darla is not spotted or traced and we can get on board and save Adora! And since we already were on the ship, we won’t be as lost! You can count on me!”

Glimmer sighs. She trusts Entrapta, she wants to help Adora as much as anyone else. Still, her worry cannot be calmed. Not until Adora is safe and sound and they are away from this mess will she be able to breathe easier. Glimmer has no idea how long the warrior princess has been missing for, she hasn’t slept since it all happened and she has no sense of day and night out in space, but any time at all is not great. 

Thankfully, helping Entrapta out in any way keeps her distracted. It’s mostly grabbing items for her or holding things (and hoping she isn’t electrocuted in the process) but it helps and makes her feel better knowing that this will get Adora in the end. Entrapta has been working non stop almost. She somehow does not seem to be affected by the fact she hasn’t slept much either. Whatever works…

Suddenly, Entrapta slams the door of what she was working on shut, startling Glimmer. “DONE!” she shouts. 

“Wait? Really?” Glimmer asks. 

“Yup! I just need to run a couple test but we should be good to go in a few minutes!”

Glimmer feels her spirits lift. In a short time, they will be saving Adora and hopefully on Horde Prime’s ship for one last time. Soon, she will be back in Glimmer’s arms, safe and sound. Soon, they will be back together. Everything will be right again once that happens. 

She quickly gets ready, informing everyone else about what is going on. In a short amount of time, everyone gathers in the main hub of the ship. With a push of a button, Darla becomes invisible. Hopefully whatever Entrapta did will keep them hidden. Being lucky twice is a hard feat but everyone wants to cling to the hope they can do it. Soon, Horde Prime’s ship comes into focus. Glimmer feels her heart racing seeing this once more. 

With bated breath, everyone waits to see if Entrapta’s plan works. They slowly make through the smaller fleet of ships. None of them fire anything at them or even seem to notice. Carefully they land on a platform on the main ship. Everyone exhales but there is no time to relax. Now for the hardest part. Everyone heads off.

Glimmer searches everywhere she can, high and low. She is careful not to be spotted by any clones. Whatever cell or room she can look in she does a thorough search. Nothing. Damn it. She checks in with the other. No luck either. There is no way they all can check every inch of this place, there isn’t enough time. But Glimmer doesn’t want to give up Adora at all, not when she might need her the most. She has to keep trying. 

Glimmer enters a room, hoping that Adora will be in here. She looks around, getting a sense of the room. She finds herself in a small weapons room. Not much in there, mostly staffs and swords it seems. The designs are nothing Glimmer has ever seen before. Maybe they are “prizes'' from all the worlds Horde Prime has destroyed over the years. She is about to leave when her eyes land on something new. A tall, lean figure stands off to the side. They are clad in the same robes as all the other clones but they are not one. They have a light skin tone and short, dark blonde hair. Something seems to be stuck in the back of their neck. Glimmer is about to quietly leave when a thought sweeps passes her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat. 

“It can’t be…” she breathes out. 

Slowly, the figure turns. Glimmer knows that face, she knows the scars on her chin. The only thing she does not recognize are her eyes. No longer are they a light shade of blue, rather, they now glow green. 

A gasp escapes Glimmer at the sight. She covers her mouth with a hand and staggers back. What the hell happened to her? How long was she trapped here? It couldn’t have been _t_ _hat_ long. What did Horde Prime do to her? 

“I knew you would come back,” Adora says, her voice coming out wrong. There is no warmth or love to it. An uneasy feeling grows in the pit of Glimmer’s stomach, making her feel ill. 

Glimmer removes her hand. “Adora...Adora what happened to you? What did he do to you?”

Adora starts to draw closer to Glimmer, who remains frozen in place, circling her like a shark in the water. “Can’t you see? Horde Prime has given me the chance to find peace. No more need to worry about every little thing that happens. No need to drive myself crazy feeling like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. And there is no need for myself to try to please you, my dear queen.”

Glimmer winces. This isn’t Adora. From her time on the ship, she knows that Horde Prime has some control over his clones. At the very least, he can speak through them. But Adora isn’t a clone. How the hell is this possible? Regardless, she needs to stand her guard. 

“Let Adora go, Prime!”

There is a chuckle from Adora, one that belongs to Prime. It sounds so wrong coming out of her. When she speaks, Glimmer swears she can hear his voice mixed in. “ _Your people never change, do they? Always so hopeful. You know, searching through your beacon of hope’s mind to get to know her better, I saw even after everything you two went through, she still hoped you’d come around. Hoped things could be made up even if the hurt ate her up inside. Hoped...that you wouldn’t turn out to be another Catra. She loves you so much, you know._ ”

Tears prick at the sides of Glimmer’s eyes. “Fuck you! Give her back!”

“ _Oh, but I have plans for her. I sense a great power in her, that of She-ra. I would love to tap into that power and strength of hers. Once I do, your precious planet won’t stand a chance. Though, I am curious to see how far your precious bond with Adora goes? How far are you willing to save her?_ ”

Adora reacts before Glimmer can think, let alone speak. It’s only instinct earned in battle after battle against the Horde that saves the queen, her arm flashing up to block Adora’s strike. She ducks under another blow, trying to open some distance between them – a bitter irony, given how a distance between them had got them into this mess in the first place.

“Adora, please! Please, listen to me, it’s me! Glimmer!” She takes a deep breath and shouts, “I know you’re in there! You don’t have to do this!”

“But what if I want to?” Adora’s voice is still wrong: as clean and sterile and dead as the austere confines of Prime’s spaceship. The life, the hope, the joy, even the anger and the grief just…gone. Glimmer would take anything – even the seething rage she’d earned through her actions as Queen – over this bleak emptiness. Now there’s a sword in Adora’s hand, apparently claimed from one of Horde Prime’s tables. “Or are you just trying to order me around since you’re Queen?”

“I know this isn’t you, Adora!” Glimmer pleads. “Come back with us – let us help you!”

As Adora lunges forward, Glimmer’s questing fingers find a sturdy length of metal – doubtless some fantastically advanced metal that she’s never heard of, but functionally exactly as useful and welcome as an iron bar. With a strength fuelled by desperation, she bats Adora’s blow aside, the edge of the blade missing her by inches – not something her fencing tutor would have approved of back at Bright Moon, but it got the job done.

“You want to help me, Glimmer? After all the times I wanted to help you, and you threw me aside?” Adora is in a picture-perfect ready stance – prepared to strike or counter, as necessary. Glimmer’s eyes are drawn to the blade, which has an unnerving color to it – less the radiance of steel or silver, more the sheen of sunlight on spilled oil, a sickly rainbow that promises only corruption.

Paying too much attention to the sword is her first mistake.

Before Glimmer can react, Adora kicks her in the stomach, and the breath is knocked out of her lungs. Gasping for oxygen, she tries to open some space (the “gallows humor” part of her brain has a good chuckle at that), but Adora is on her like a predator on its prey, and only with a desperate low strike does Glimmer manage to throw Adora off balance enough to open up a gap. She’s used to Adora’s great strength and endurance from sparring, but while she could be sure the real Adora wouldn’t try to hurt her, this Adora had no such reluctance.

“Adora, please!” Glimmer hates that her voice has started to take on a wheedling, begging note, but she can’t stop herself. She’s been trying to keep her true feelings suppressed for too long as queen, and they’re starting to break loose. “Whatever’s going on in your mind isn’t real – Horde Prime is using you! You’re stronger than this, I know it! Just come back, please! I’m not giving up on you! We can stop the Horde, once and for all!”

Adora laughs, but Glimmer can tell it isn’t real. She’s heard Adora laugh before, and it wasn’t this cold, sanitized thing, but a sound of joy and love and hope. Shaking her head, Adora says, “ _Now_ you want to fix things? When I tried that, all it did was piss you off!”

The next thing Glimmer knows, she’s on the floor. Adora’s tackle has always been so fast that Glimmer barely has time to notice it, let alone react. At least a third of Glimmer’s body is going to be feeling this tomorrow. Then, because things can always get worse, she feels Adora’s arm press into her throat. Her vision starts to blur as Adora begins to crush the air from her lungs.

Okay. Treating this as though she can just get through to Adora with the right words isn’t working. She’ll have to take Adora out – a difficult task by itself – and try and put things back together later. Adora might not forgive her, but at least they’ll both be alive-

The pressure on her neck slackens. 

“Why?”

Glimmer’s eyes pop open to meet Adora’s. The blank, death-green glow is gone; Adora’s eyes are the gorgeous sky-blue that has haunted Glimmer’s dreams since Mystacor. Glimmer almost winces to see the pain and anger in them, but at least pain and anger are something. Pain and anger are _real_.

“Why did you say that?” demands Adora, her voice cracking like glass.

“What, Adora? What?” As if she doesn’t know. Hasn’t heard it in her nightmares the entire time she’s been in this accursed place. But maybe if she can keep Adora talking, she can keep her free.

“Why did you blame me for Angella’s death? Or say that the Rebellion was worse off because of me?” Adora’s eyes are brimming with tears, droplets landing on Glimmer’s clothes. “Do you know how hard I tried? How hard it was to ever let anyone risk their lives for me? Angella – I didn’t want her to die! She _made_ me stay behind! Why would she do that?”

Glimmer wishes she can reach out and hold Adora tight. Tell her none of that was her fault and she knows she tried her best. It was blind anger that caused her to blame Adora. Hurt that she didn't know what to do with other than throw it back at the person who only wanted to help. Things left unsaid for so long now are pouring out of Adora. Part of Glimmer wonders if this a trick of Horde Prime, using Adora's memories against her. Then again, it _is_ Adora’s memories. Even if it is him, this is how she feels, isn't it? And Glimmer deserves all of it.

“What do you want me to do, Glimmer?” Adora’s voice is little more than a whisper.

“I don’t know.” The last of Glimmer’s resolve breaks. “I don’t know, but I’m sorry, Adora! I should never have lashed out like that! I was scared and lonely and hurt and desperate and none of that excuses what I did! Please, just…let me try to make it right!”

“Glimm – ugh!” Adora’s eyes flutter closed, then snap open again – all life and hope banished, replaced with that green emptiness. The weight on her neck begins to intensify. Still, the woman Glimmer loves is definitely in there somewhere.

And if Glimmer doesn’t act quickly, the woman she loves will kill her.

Her knees and hips complain as she rolls, forcing Adora off-balance through sheer grit. As Adora picks herself up, Glimmer’s metal bar scythes through the air, catching Adora on the back of the neck with a sound like metal striking metal.

Adora staggers, her eyes flickering blue, before the deathly green void returns. She rises, her stance putting Glimmer in mind of a boxer waiting for the next bell.

_Is something on her neck controlling her?_

Glimmer’s mind races, even as she blocks Adora’s sweeping cut. If she goes after the neck, maybe she can free Adora. But if she goes for nothing _but_ the neck, Adora will easily spot that she’s doing it, and she’ll be lucky to make it out of the next five minutes alive.

She grits her teeth and launches her next attack, a low strike at Adora’s legs that is swiftly parried. She doesn’t let Adora regain her balance, though, moving into an overhead swing that Adora sidesteps.

“I see you’re fighting back properly,” observes Adora, in the manner of one commenting on the weather. “Giving up on me?”

“I don’t give up, Adora. You should know that.” Glimmer tests the weight of the metal bar. “You _do_ know that. I know you’re in there, Adora, and I’m going to get you out!”

“It won’t work.”

“I seem to recall the Horde always thought that about us,” says Glimmer, her smirk a paper-thin layer of false confidence. “Didn’t work out for them then. Not gonna go any better now.”

Metal clangs off metal as Adora’s sword meets Glimmer’s improvised staff. Glimmer frantically digs through her memories of sparring with Adora, trying to find any weakness, any at all, that she could exploit-

Oh, yes. That one. It’s not a good one.

The next time Adora swings the sword at her, Glimmer doesn’t bother parrying. Instead, she moves _into_ the strike, catching Adora’s wrist with her left hand, her right bringing the metal bar around as the edge of the sword catches her shoulder -

She winces as a grunt of pain escapes Adora’s lips. The wounds left by Catra after the Battle of Bright Moon have always been tender, despite the healing magics of She-Ra, and in sparring, Glimmer’s always tried to avoid them and spare Adora the pain. But this isn’t sparring, and at this point Glimmer will take any edge she can get. She already has so much to make up for; a little more, to make sure she has a chance, won’t hurt.

Sportsmanlike or not, Adora is momentarily off-balance. Releasing her love’s wrist, Glimmer kicks Adora’s legs out from under her. Adora groans and tries to rise, but Glimmer holds her down with a foot, her fingers reaching for Adora’s neck, hoping that she can just rip the damn thing loose and throw it into a hard vacuum. “Now let’s get that thing off you-”

The edge of Adora’s blade, driving backwards clumsily but with all the force Adora can bring to bear, catches Glimmer in the leg – thankfully missing any major blood vessels – and Adora takes advantage of Glimmer’s momentary instability to throw her off, rising to her feet. Any trace of the free, hurting Adora is gone now; all Glimmer can see is the thrall Horde Prime’s technology is making her into.

Glimmer mutters a curse. Her leg is still able to handle her weight, but she’s lost speed – and her fighting instincts are already a little off-base, since she can’t teleport. At this point, she doesn’t have any advantages, and both she and Adora know it.

It’s not long before Adora swats the staff from her fingers. Glimmer steps backward, a curse escaping her lips as she realizes Adora has driven her into one of the walls. 

Adora steps forward, weapon raised. “All I ever wanted was to be the hero you deserved, Glimmer. Now I can be the hero Horde Prime needs.”

The sword is right in front of Glimmer, the tip an inch from her throat. With the wall at her back, she can’t retreat, and Adora’s reflexes are too good for her to dodge. She suspects she’s only still breathing because Horde Prime likes having power over others; the only reason Adora hasn’t driven that sword through her throat is that Horde Prime wants to gloat.

“You were always my hero, Adora,” says Glimmer softly. “More of a hero than I ever could have deserved. You were the best of us – always hurt, always scarred, but always trying to learn more, do more, be more, always working to make your life anew. If I can’t free you from this…then fine, kill me. I’d rather die than see you reduced to nothing more than Horde Prime’s weapon-”

Sparks of blue begin to dance in Adora’s eyes, and the blade of the sword starts to waver.

“I.” Adora’s voice sounds like it’s coming from far away, forcing its way out of her unwilling throat through sheer grit and determination. “Am not.” The sword falls from her hand; Glimmer dives for it, snatching it from the air like a big cat seizing a fish. “A weapon!”

The sparks of blue light in Adora’s eyes go nova.

The explosion of white fire around Glimmer’s friend is bright enough that it bypasses all questions of sight; Glimmer can both feel and taste it. Strangely, instead of the intense heat Glimmer is expecting, it’s closer to the warmth of a pleasant summer day – like the time Bow took them all fishing near Plumeria.

Somehow, Glimmer knows that isn’t a coincidence. It’s not just the same character of warmth; it’s _that exact warmth_ , taken straight from Adora’s memory.

A voice rings out – no, two voices as one. One of them is definitely Adora, and the other…could that be Mara? It sounds like her hologram from the Crimson Wastes…although Glimmer hasn’t heard it since then.

“FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL!”

The blinding light clears, and Glimmer sees her friend in her full She-Ra regalia – but changed. There’s a heart-shaped design at her throat, her crown looks different…and her scarlet cloak is split, so it billows behind her like a pair of enormous wings. The outline of the Sword of Protection blazes in her hand, but it, too, has changed – the weapon’s blade is narrower, with a broad tip that puts Glimmer in mind of an arrowhead, the spot in the hilt where the runestone once sat has a cat’s eye engraved in it, and the cross-guard is unmistakably designed after a crescent moon, like the Bright Moon regalia.

The chip on the nape of Adora’s neck screams, its electronic voice tainted with the malice of its master. Eyes glowing like the sky at noon, she tears it off and crushes it between her fingers. It’s no more effort to She-Ra than breaking an egg.

Glimmer stares in awe at the sight, her breath taken away for once in a good way. Adora looks stunning, like an angel. Though, to Glimmer, no matter what Adora always looks amazing. Any traces of Horde Prime’s green mind controlling color are gone. Only blue remains. 

“Adora…” Glimmer breathes out. She is about to burst into tears at the sight but is unable to when Adora collapses to her knees, using her sword for support. “Adora!”

Glimmer quickly is at her side. Adora is panting, her eyes a bit out of focus. Gently, Glimmer places a hand on She-ra’s back. “Are you okay?”

Adora nods and turns her head. “I’m...I’m just exhausted, that’s all.” 

Glimmer’s heart skips a beat at the sound of Adora’s voice. It, and the smile plastered on her face, is warm and welcoming. It’s the same one she has grown to love and adore. All the malice, coldness, and hate from before is gone. She really is back.

Adora speaks again. “Glimmer...are you okay? You...You saved-”

“Shh, shh,” Glimmer places her forehead on Adora’s, feeling the cold metal of her crown on her skin. “We have to get out of here. If we don’t, we’ll never get a chance to talk. Can you stand?”

“I think so.” With Glimmer’s help, Adora gets to her feet. Glimmer bites down on her lower lip, holding back a wince as she puts weight on her injured leg. Adora does not need anything to worry about right now. Anything and everything can be dealt with back on the ship when they are away from this hellhole, safe and sound. 

The two move as fast as they can, paying attention and looking out for any clones or Horde Prime himself. After what just occurred, he surely knows he has lost a valuable piece of his mindless army. Either he will want her back or kill both of them on sight. Neither of those are a pleasant option. The quicker they get out the better. 

Glimmer pages the others through her ear piece, informing them she has Adora, and to get ship as soon as possible. Everyone replies back, happy that Adora has been found. Hopefully, she can make it back to ship safe and sound. But that means they have to get through this maze of a ship. Glimmer only knows so much of it and everything looks the same. What halls did she take again?

Adora suddenly pauses and pushes Glimmer to the wall. She opens her mouth to say something but is cut off when she sees a number of clones run down an adjacent hall, failing to notice either of them. 

“How did you know they were coming?” Glimmer asks. 

“I don’t know,” Adora answers. She clutches the side of her head. “I just knew…”

“Well, it saved our skins.” Glimmer steps forward, looking down the new hall way. She is pretty sure she recognizes it as one she took on her quest to find Adora when she first reentered the ship. Glimmer turns to Adora and says, “I think we are close. How are you holding up?”

Adora pushes herself off of the wall. She looks like she is ready to collapse but there is a fire of determination in her eyes. “Fine. Let’s go.”

The two head off, hoping they are going in the right direction. Glimmer prays that they have chosen. One wrong move and everything will have been for not. A turn comes up. Glimmer definitely knows this area. They are close to the ship. It is the homestretch. 

Suddenly, a number of clones appear in front of them. Glimmer mutters a curse. Even with the sword from before in her grasp, she really is not in the mood for another long, drawn out fight. But before she can do anything, Adora steps in front of her. With a swift move, she unleashes a powerful strike at them, knocking them all off their feet. With their path free, and fearing more clones are only moments away, the two make a break for it. 

They soon reach the ship. Entrapta already has the engines reeving, ready to make Darla take off the second everyone is on board. Adora and Glimmer use the rest of their strength to get on board to safety. Both hear the growing echo of footsteps coming closer and closer. The second they get on board, the door behind them slams shut and they blast out of there. 

Safe inside the ship, Adora reverts back into her regular self, still covered in Horde Prime’s white clothing, and falls to the ground. Glimmer quickly is at her side, gathering her up and cradling her in her arms. Adora has her eyes shut but her breathing is steady. With a threat no longer hanging over them, her body must have finally given up it’s fight against exhaustion. Glimmer feels herself about to cry. Adora is safe. She is safe. They are together again and she will be damned if they are pulled apart once more. 

Another set of doors open. Bow, Entrapta, and Catra quickly enter the room. Bow is the first to speak up. “Glimmer! Adora! Are you two-” He stops in his tracks when he sees the sight in front of him. “What the heck happened to Adora?”

“It’s a long story and I don’t really know much either. But that doesn’t matter right now,” Glimmer replies quickly. “I think she just passed out but Entrapta, can you make sure she is okay?”

“Well...Like I said, I am much better at machines than people I don’t know how much I can help,” she answers, rubbing one of her ponytails under her chin. 

“Entrapta, you’re the best bet we got. Please, just try.” Glimmer pleads with the princess, almost forgetting she needs attention as well. The adrenaline in her body is wearing off. All the injuries Adora gave her, especially the one on her leg, ache more and more with every passing second. 

“I’ll do my best!” Entrapta replies. She walks over to Glimmer and sticks out her ponytails, waiting for Adora to be placed in them. For a moment, despite just asking for help, Glimmer does not want to let Adora go. She has longed for the day she could feel the blonde’s warm body against hers again. And with the first time Glimmer met Entrapta when She-ra went crazy (it seems like Entrapta is always around for something like this), she still doesn’t quite know what Entrapta will do. However, the older princess cares for Adora. 

Carefully, she places the unconscious girl in the ponytails. A groan slips out of Adora. Glimmer cannot keep her eyes off of her. Between her being dressed in something she never would willingly put on and her long hair cut down to her neck, Adora looks like a completely different person. And after the fight the two just had, she very nearly became someone else. But she didn’t, she’s still Adora. 

Entrapta walks away with Adora to somewhere else in the ship. Bow and Catra come to Glimmer’s side and help her to her feet. 

“What the hell happened to you, Sparkles? You look like shit,” Catra says quite bluntly. 

“Adora...Horde Prime somehow was controlling her.”

“What?!?” Bow and Catra shout in unison. 

“He wanted to use her as a weapon but she’s back now. She’s isn’t under his control anymore. I’m still not fully sure how he did it though.”

“We can talk more later. We should get that leg of yours patched up before it gets infected,” Bow says.

* * *

_Adora finds herself in a room full of weapons, waiting. She has been told to stay there by Horde Prime. Why? She isn’t quite sure but she doesn’t argue with her ‘brother’. He knows best after all. He has finally taken away all of her doubts and anxieties and has replaced them with a feeling of euphoria. And if any worries come to her, Horde Prime has promised to take care of them for her. If she is being honest, it feels like she is living a dream right now._

_A noise catches her attention. Slowly, she turns around. A new being has appeared, a familiar one at that. The queen of Bright Moon, Glimmer, stands before her. A feeling starts to form inside of her, causing her heart to skip a beat. Whatever the feeling is, it suddenly is erased from her mind._

_They start to talk. For a moment, she allows Horde Prime to speak through her as Glimmer pleads for her return. Part of Adora wonders why she is trying so hard after everything that has happened. All those memories from months of arguments start to fill her mind. That bliss inside of her begins to get replaced by a hot, boiling anger._

_Suddenly, everything starts to feel way too real. The sense of her dreaming is shattered as she pins Glimmer to the ground. She begins asking the queen why she got accused of things she had no power over. Why does everyone look to her for answers when she barely has any of them. But something catches her off guard. Glimmer begins to apologize. She can hear the genuine and earnest tone in her voice._

_Before she can process it, her head begins to ache. It feels like she is forcefully pulled back into a dream like state. Someone pushes her out of the driver’s seat and takes control of her mind. Something starts to feel wrong about this all but she doesn’t know who or what she should be fighting right now. Her battle with Glimmer continues onward, the queen no longer holding back. There is a moment where she has one upped her and has her on the ground. Though, this does not last long._

_Finally she has her pin against the wall, her blade almost brushing against Glimmer’s skin. She is about to end it all but the queen begins to speak what could be her final words._

_“You were always my hero, Adora...”_

_The words catch her off guard. Glimmer counties talking, speaking from the heart about how she feels. All Adora has ever wanted was to be a hero to Glimmer, the most important person in her life. A large part of her believes she failed at that. About to end her life, she definitely is not being one right now._

_Then she hears Glimmer utter the words ‘weapon’. That is something she knows she is not. Everyone has tried to use her as such but she refuses. She refuses now. She is not a weapon, she’s a hero, and it is about time she starts acting like one. Pulling all her strength from within her, Adora fights to get her words out. It takes everything out of her to speak. Someone does not want her to speak. They try to force her mouth shut, preventing them from speaking, but she refuses. Everything now becomes a blur of bright colors._

_Her brain begins to race and mix memories and images together. She finds herself staring down Horde Prime, hears chatting of clones, water filling her nose and threatening to drown her. The cold and menacing voice of Horde Prime echoes in her mind, over taking any thoughts she might have. The last thing she sees before everything turns black is her about to strike down Glimmer._

* * *

Adora wakes with a start, a cry escaping out of her throat. Her mind is a mess, unable to focus on one thing for too long. Her heart races inside of her, beating hard against her chest, and her breathing comes out jagged. Adora is about to stand and flee, run from whatever danger looms over her, when something strong and warm wraps around her torso, holding her in a tight squeeze. She is about to lash out in defense when a familiar and soothing voice fills her ears. 

“Adora! Adora it’s okay! _Breathe!_ You’re safe!” Glimmer reassures her. 

She turns her head around. Sure enough, it is not a trick of the mind. Glimmer looks back at her, worry filling her sparkling, lilac eyes. Adora notices bags starting to form under them. Why does she look like that? Has she not been sleeping? There is a chair close to the bed, was she watching her?

“You’re okay, Adora. It was just a nightmare,” Glimmer tells her in a soothing voice. “Count.”

Count. A trick that the two came up with to aid her whenever her anxiety took over her mind and body. Adora mumbles down from one hundred, feeling much of the negative emotions leaving her. Her heart begins to slow down and her breathing becomes some sort of normalcy. Glimmer begins to loosen her grip. 

“Better?” she asks. 

“Better. Thank you.” Adora replies. 

Glimmer’s grip becomes fully undone, allowing Adora freedom to move her arms around. The first thing she does is reach up and run her fingers through her hair. A tick she has developed over the years whenever she needs some calming. Playing with her hair has always helped her. However, she is quickly reminded of what happened to her when all she finds is air. She can barely run her fingers through her shortened hair, even her bangs are of no use anymore. The next best thing she does is pull her legs to her chest and hold them tight. 

“Are you okay?” Glimmer asks, sitting down next to her. 

Adora takes a moment to answer her. She just was kidnapped and had her mind violated. How can she be okay? Finally, she says, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to answer me but...do you remember anything that happened?”

Adora tightens her grip around her legs. She remembers _everything_. It feels like she imagined it all but she knows what she did. Every word she spoke to Glimmer and coming so close to killing her. Adora’s eyes land on Glimmer’s leg. It is wrapped up and carefully laid on the bed. Her heart sinks. 

“I did that,” Adora whispers. 

Glimmer looks down at her leg before returning or gaze back at Adora. “No, you didn’t. You were under Horde Prime’s control. How could you have known what you were doing?”

“I _did_ know what I was doing, Glimmer! I couldn’t fight it off! I let it happen and I hurt you. I almost took your life. I was hurt and angry at everything that happened between us and I let it take over. I could barely do anything about it and it almost got you killed!” 

Adora’s vision becomes blurry. Even with all the pain inside of her from everything that was left unsaid, wishing Glimmer could understand her pain and anguish, the last thing she ever wanted to do was harm the queen. It leaves a nasty taste in her mouth, one she believes won’t go away any time soon. 

Glimmer moves closer to her. “I know you. I know you wouldn’t do that to me on purpose. Please don’t beat yourself up over it.” 

Adora turns her head away, refusing to look at Glimmer. “How can you say that after what I did?”

“Because no matter what, you’ll always be a hero to me, Adora. I know I said things to you, horrible things, and I should have _never_ done that. You honestly have every right to be mad at me so I don’t blame you for anything. Still, you’re my hero, the best thing that ever has happened to me, and I love you. I only hope you can forgive me.”

Adora doesn’t know what to make of it. She doesn’t hate her? She _loves_ her? Twice now she has called her a hero, the one thing she sought out to be for her. Slowly, Adora puts her gaze back on the queen. She finds that Glimmer is holding back tears. 

“Glim…” 

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while.”

Adora can’t help but smile a little. “I’m still sorry for everything. Not just for trying to kill you. Even if that was Horde Prime I still feel crappy about it. But I am sorry for everything else. You are your own person and I shouldn’t have tried controlling what you did. I wanted to keep you safe but I only drove you away.”

“We both fucked up, didn’t we?”

“I guess so.” Adora rubs the back of her neck, partly out of nerves and partly because it itches. “But you brought me back to my senses. Your love got me to be She-ra again and I can’t thank you enough for that. Though, I...I still need time after all this, and everything, and what with Horde Prime still a threat, but I...uh...love you also.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Adora. I think we all need time to process everything.”

A weight starts to be lifted from Adora’s body. It’s good to start getting things off her chest. It’s nice to finally chat to Glimmer even if it is only so much. She only wishes that this moment wasn’t being ruined by the annoying feeling on the back of her neck. 

“Damn it, why does my neck feel weird?”

“Horde Prime put a chip there. You were able to rip it off when you turned into She-ra and Entrapta got any remnants you missed out of you while you were unconscious. It did leave a small scar.”

“Great, another one to add to the list of things I wish didn’t leave a reminder,” Adora grumbles. “I can’t wait for my hair to grow back and hide it. I hate that he did that to me.”

Glimmer gives her a nudge. “If it makes you feel any better, you look nice no matter what. And maybe we can play around with some styles after this is all over and see if you like anything else besides just ponytail.”

Adora feels her face warm up. “Thank you, Glim.” She starts to look around, remembering she is on a ship flying who knows where. There is a lot left to do. There is no time to waste at all. Adora throws her legs over the edge of the bed and asks, “Where are the others. I want to see how things are and where we are at.”

She stands up and is about to walk off to change into whatever clothes she has on board when Glimmer stands up herself, being mindful of the weight on her leg, and grabs a hold of Adora’s wrist. “Adora wait! Don’t throw yourself right back into things. You just went through _a lot._ You need to take it easy.”

“But-”

“No ‘buts’. Please. I know you want to do your part but we all need a break once in a while. Everyone is taking a break for a moment and you should do it also. I’m not ordering you to do this but asking you as a friend. Please don’t worry right not.”

Adora knows she is right. She wants to forget about everything that just happened by trying to fix everything. But what good will that do anyone? A breather would be nice. She takes a breath before resting her forehead on the smaller girl’s. 

“Alright, Glim. I still want to change and see everyone but I’ll do whatever you guys want for now.”

Glimmer beams. “Okay. And I’ll be here when you are ready to get back on your feet. I won’t leave your side again.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Yes I stole the promise line don't @ me I had to
> 
> I also forgot to mention Dorku also did the She-ra design cbsbxhshs sorry I forgot


End file.
